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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!This is a two week list because last weekend I was too busy having a great time at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books with my eldest son, and didn't have the energy to post. I will have a bigger post of all that we did there coming soon, but below contains a few of the purchases we made the week before or at the festival. Plus, we got some free goodies from the Harlequin booth, which was awesome. This also contains my catch-up posting for my ebooks.

Friday, April 26, 2013

When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

My Review:Rory is a unique heroine that I couldn't help but love. She is smart, average-looking, honest, and shy. She is logical and scientific. She is not bookish, in the fictional reading sense, choosing facts instead. She wants to see the good in people. She tries not to judge people. She's not hormone-driven and angsty. These are all qualities I appreciate and admire in her, and they compelled me to want to read her story. Then there's Tyler, the "bad boy" who really isn't a bad boy. He just comes from rough circumstances and has had many punches thrown his way. But he is a kind, supportive, protective, and loyal soul, who takes a hit, gets up, and starts all over again. Throw in the fact that he's attractive, tattooed, and loves to read, and you've got a swoon-worthy guy. I liked the way the author developed Rory and Tyler's relationship for the most part. It did start a little sketchy, and speculative, with a very interesting first chapter. But I liked that the author sets the reader up to not necessarily believe everything you see, forcing us to have our skepticism, and having to decide if we're going to buy into this relationship or not. I also liked that the author gave us multiple views of Rory and Tyler, helping us have a deeper understanding of who they are. There was a steady flow of progression in their relationship, which helped me to develop and invest my feelings as I saw their honest feelings and treatment of each other develop. I also appreciated how the author pulled in Rory and Tyler's other family members into their relationship, giving it additional layers and challenges. Even though the circumstances may not be super common, dealing with external family pressures is very common in relationships, so we can still relate.One issue: I wish virginity wasn't always looked upon as some strange disease, that if you are still afflicted with this status after you graduate high school, there must me something severely wrong with you, and that you must quickly rid yourself of it before you shrivel up and die. Not every virgin is either ugly, socially-awkward, or traumatized by their past. Virginity is a choice for many people for different reasons. I was a virgin until I was married, by choice, and I don't have any problem admitting that. Rory was a twenty-year-old virgin. Big deal. She didn't seem too concerned about it until her roommates found out. But Rory was wise enough to understand it was her choice to "lose" her virginity, not anyone else's. But I didn't like her roommates idea of how to "help" her along in the process. I'm glad Rory was observant enough to see through what was going on around her, and make her own decision without being fooled. There are certain perks with being the smart, observant, logical chick. But I still wish authors would do away with perpetuating the notion that virginity is some curse that the population must rid itself of before leaving their teen years, particularly in these New Adult books. It should be a personal choice without a deadline. (Okay, sorry for the rant...)Bottomline: This was a quick read for me that I enjoyed (outside of the above issue). I found the plotline interesting and the storyline flowed well, keeping me tied to getting to the outcome. The main characters were well-fleshed out and engaging, and I felt the need to root for them. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have loved an epilogue or something with all the unanswered questions (plus, I just really liked Rory and Tyler). But I see that there will be another book following a different character, so I can only hope we will see glimpses of Rory and Tyler in future reads.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

My Review:The whole concept of this book is quite fascinating: the dead resting on shelves like library books, called Histories, with Librarians guarding them, and Keepers keeping the peace by containing escaped Histories. The build up to understanding this world Ms. Schwab created felt thorough, but not immediate. She doesn't info dump on the reader, which I appreciated, but slowly builds things up, mixing current situations with Mackenzie's flashbacks to her training and time with Da. We also not only learn about this otherworldly place where these Histories reside, but learn about Mackenzie's current home and family situation in the 'real' world. Plus, the added creep factor with the dead and the tunnels and the weird hotel made everything extra mysterious. Ms. Schwab did a great job making me buy into this world and want to know more about it. I will not going into the depth's of the book's plot. I think the mystery of the book is too compelling and I wouldn't want to ruin anything. I loved the characters. Mackenzie is strong and intelligent, but also real and troubled, still dealing with the death of her brother, the recent move of her family, and the Keeper lifestyle. She has to be so strong all the time, yet in this story we also see her weaknesses and struggles and how she is forced to deal with them, and the depth of the consequences of her choices. I absolutely loved Wesley and all his 'guyliner' glory. He helped lighten the mood of the story when needed, but he was also so strong and loyal. Every scene with him was great. I also loved the enigmatic Roland, and spent the majority of the story wanting to know his story. Plus, there are additional secondary characters that added so much to the story and never felt two-dimensional, even if they were only in the book for a scene or two. My contradictory statement: I was able to put this book down about halfway through and read a couple other books in between starting and finishing it, meaning it wasn't un-put-down-able, but on the other hand, I was able to pick it back up, get right back into the storyline, and then actually become more thoroughly engrossed in the story and characters, then making it un-put-down-able at the end. So with that confusing mess, I'll say in the beginning it had a slow start and I wasn't completely immersed in the book, but by the end Ms. Schwab had won me over and I was captivated by the story and wanted more. So my recommendation: Give this book a chance and get immersed in this fascinating world Ms. Schwab created.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

My Review:The first thing I noticed when I started reading The Collector was how awesome Dante was. Well, first of all, he tells us how awesome he is. But second of all, I believed him. I will say that his way of speaking isn't for everyone, and may feel over-the-top at times. But not for me. I loved the crazy things he said, and as the book continued past the halfway mark, and he seemed to be taming it down a bit, I missed his overly-confident, arrogant, call-it-like-it-is word choices. Now don't get me wrong, Dante still brings it, just things have shifted along with the plot, as a different kind of Dante begins to form. But when he talks about cats having "creepy little teeth and finger blades" and wanting to punt them because they're a freak show, I couldn't help but laugh. He describes a girl as looking "like a porcelain doll...beat three times with an ugly stick," and I admit I laughed instead of being offended. And when a woman threatens to call security on him and get him kicked out, he responds by saying, "For what? Being awesome?" And this was just in the first 6% of the book. All those things and many, many more made reading Dante's thoughts and dialogue...awesome. But then we see Dante's amazing progress throughout the story. He becomes more than just this superficial character and is forced to make big decisions and sacrifices and truly re-evaluate who he is and who he wants to be. I loved how his mindset and beliefs developed, taking him way beyond just being awesome. Now Charlie was Dante's utter opposite. I really liked her and felt bad for her at the same time, the way Dante was using her. But I liked how Charlie seemed to be in touch with herself and she wasn't your typical 'perfect' teen heroine. She didn't have the traditional beautiful looks, hence the 'ugly stick' comment. She also beat to her own drummer, had loyal, quirky friends, and did not let her past traumas ruin her life, but instead used them as inspiration to be a better person and inspire others in the same way, but with subtlety. Some of the choices she made were out of character, with Dante's influence, but also made her a more realistic teen, wrestling with insecurities, attraction, etc. And watching the dynamic between her and Dante develop was well written. Though we are only in Dante's head, we can still see both of them wrestling with their thoughts and actions. As for the storyline, I found it to be enjoyable and entertaining, but also with a moral story, which I appreciated. Now, I believe in Heaven and Hell, and not necessarily the way the author describes it, but I was still able to enjoy the story in spite of that. As the story progressed and Dante tried to win Charlie over, I felt the nagging in my stomach that evil couldn't possibly win over good. The author did a great job keeping my anticipation up, unsure of where things would go in each of the scenes and settings. And when one thing and then another happened, that I'd hoped wouldn't happen, I felt my heart sink a little. Then when something else happened that I wasn't sure about, my spirits lifted again. Then when that other thing happened...well, you get the picture. Ms. Scott kept me guessing at how things would turn out even until the very end. I was completely hooked and devoured this book.The only downside for me was the second half seemed to slow just a bit for me, but as I said before, Dante's dialogue/thoughts seemed to mellow out, so perhaps that was mainly what I was sensing. The plot seemed to keep moving, however. Also, considering Dante and Charlie only knew each other less than two weeks, I felt like 'feelings' progressed rather quickly. But overall, I really liked this book and look forward to the rest of the series. Well done, Ms. Scott!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes the second novel in the erotic, fast-paced trilogy that started with Release Me. This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.

For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real.

Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match.

I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both.

But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.

My Review:Claim Me picks up days after Release Me ended. We are right back into Damien and Nikki's passionate and steamy affair. But the painting Damien commissioned is almost complete, and their relationship, with it's secrets and past traumas, will be put to the test. Will their relationship be able to survive and where will it go from here?Without giving away spoilers, Damien and Nikki face many obstacles in their relationship, both internally and externally. The author did a good job showing how they dealt with things and how they were forced to grow as a couple or lose each other. Not only did they conquer obstacles together, but they were fortified individually as well. I loved that they accepted each others' "flaws" and pasts and saw the beauty in each other beyond the superficial (though they certainly enjoyed the superficial as well). I loved their heartfelt dedication to each other. I found it interesting that within the confines of these two books (and not including the time they met 6 years prior) that they were together for only weeks, less than a month. To call this a whirlwind romance would be an understatement, but it still felt realistic to me. Does that make me optimistic or out-of-touch? I don't know. But regardless, the author was able to make me feel a part of this story, and invested in this couple.Damien and Nikki continue to heat up the sheets. Some of their trysts were more unique than others, and that made for entertaining reading. Their copious amounts of sex were, well, plentiful and page-filling. If you're looking for heat, you won't be disappointed. Damien continues to be the generous lover, and sometimes I felt like Nikki could give a bit more back. But then again, Damien was in control most of the time and seemed content, so what do I know.I did notice some repetition, particularly involving Nikki's internal struggle over Damien's secrets, whether or not she should pressure him to open up, etc. While I appreciated the fact that she was looking at both sides of the argument and made valid points on both sides, after a while I felt like, "Okay, I get it, you don't know what to do." But it wasn't to the point where I didn't like Nikki, it was just to the point to where I felt in tune with her feelings and didn't need her extra internal narrative. Bottomline: If you liked Release Me, you'll like Claim Me. We get to see more layers of Damien and Nikki exposed, more of their relationship develop, more drama to be faced, and finally more of Damien's past exposed (though I still feel like there's more).Claim Me ends on a dramatic note, and I felt like the last portion of the book was very climactic. But I also felt like the book ended on a satisfactory note for me, where I felt like it was leading me into highly anticipating the last book, but I don't feel like I've been tortured with a dreaded cliffhanger. I'm definitely looking forward to Complete Me.

Monday, April 22, 2013

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms.

He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist.

Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me.

Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart.

But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

My Review:Even in the summary blurbs from both Goodreads and Amazon, we are immediately confronted with the comparison of this to Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You. Well, I will agree that there are certainly comparisons to be made. This books falls into the same genre as the other two (which I have also read). I enjoyed reading about the controlling rich alpha male, the tormenting pasts of both the hero and heroine, the crazy sexual chemistry, and the internal and external struggles they seemed to have to battle at every turn. But what I especially liked about this book is its differences. First, the two main characters have a history together before the story starts. This history is revealed early in the storyline, so I'm not giving away spoilers. But to me this backstory, even as a minor backstory, made a big difference to me and set this couple apart from the other two books. There is also an interesting story element added in that creates a bit of fantasy element as well. I liked how the story progressed and their relationship grew. Additionally, there are some well placed secondary characters, some I liked more than others.I liked the main characters on an individual basis and the uniqueness to their characters. Damien, our male protagonist, is powerful, wealthy, and controlling, but he is also caring, considerate, and flexible when he needs to be. He may "want" to control Nikki, but really, he gives her all the control. I also love the tennis star turned businessman background, with many hidden secrets, which are very slowly (and not completely) revealed. Nikki, our female protagonist, is highly intelligent, with a scientific and engineering mind. I love that she has brains, not just looks. But she also has the looks, being a former beauty queen, and with that her own heap of history and past trauma. But again, she's smart, and when propositioned by Damien, she is no fool and uses her wits. And with these elements there is a mutual respect between the two of them. I like that I like them as individuals as well as a couple.As for sex, there is lots of it. But I would classify this more as kinky, not BDSM. The characters have an obvious chemistry that is not forced. Damien is quite in tune with Nikki, and Nikki's past and needs work well with Damien's desires. I also enjoyed this author's writing style and the pacing of the book. I will also say there is no crazy cliffhanger, but there are two more books to come in the series. But this author leaves Damien and Nikki in a place that will not leave the reader crying foul, which I truly appreciate. And luckily book 2 is right around the corner.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

My Review:I finally read this book right before the movie came out. I admit that this book had been sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. I also admit to enjoying the Twilight books, so I was not opposed to Ms. Meyer's writing or style. But I'm not a huge Sci-Fi person, and the premise of this book just did not appeal to me, despite having friends tell me how much they liked it. So I procrastinated...and procrastinated...and procrastinated. It took the movie and a Stephenie Meyer event I attended to kick me in the butt and move it up my reading pile. And once I read it, what do I have to say now?I LOVED IT! This was one of those books where I just shook my heads and thought to myself, "What took me so long?" This was a beautifully written book, exposing the many layers of love and humanity. The size of the book is intimidating, and it starts a bit slowly. But I found reading it worth the time and for me the reading process quickly sped up as I became more and more engaged and invested with the characters and plot. I found the plot unique and engaging, the character development well fleshed-out, the multi-layers of love development thoughtful, and the analysis of real humanity beautifully examined. I also admit to not being a fan of love triangles. They tend to be exhausting, unrealistic, selfish, and overly dramatic. But what I loved about this story is that it really wasn't a love triangle, not in the simplistic sense of the term. I don't want to spoil the plot, but I found the whole thought process and relationship between Melanie and Wanderer fascinating. I really found their relationship the most engaging. Then with a love interest or two thrown in there, and the confusion over two minds sharing one body, the plot really thickened, but again, with an imaginative process. And the love discussed wasn't limited to just romantic love - there's also friendship, family, forgiveness, camaraderie, community, sacrifice, and many levels of love in between these. This is one of the things and subjects I was most impressed with in this novel.Bottomline: I loved this book and added it as one of my favorites. I have also listened to the audiobook (because I needed to read/hear the book twice in a row, it was so good), and found the narrator quite engaging, so if you'd prefer the audio-version over text, I highly recommend it. This is one of those books you don't want to pre-judge. Perhaps you disliked Twilight, perhaps you hate love triangles, or perhaps you have an aversion to Sci-Fi. I would still recommend giving this book a chance. I'm glad I did.

Some people may think the way Dante Walker speaks is over-the-top, but I absolutely love it. From the very start of the book, I was quoting his lines to my husband while I was reading. Here are my awesome Dante teasers:

"There's a security guard, like, ten feet away. I could have you kicked out of here."

"For what? Being awesome?"

(6% kindle arc)

I glance in the mirror. Surprise, surprise - I look finger-lickin' delicious.

(46% kindle arc)

Goodreads Summary:

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.